The Italian rider, spearhead of Ducati's development, deep down hoped to receive an offer to replace Bautista in WSBK, but his role within the brand ultimately remained the most important.
Michele Pirro has become over the years a very important test rider, if not the reference rider, both in MotoGP and Superbike. A status of which he can be proud, and which also allows him to measure himself against the best in the World Championship thanks to wildcards or replacements in the event of injuries to official Ducati riders, and each time he shows that he is at the level.
Due to his position, many have thought about him replacing Álvaro Bautista in the official Ducati team in WSBK, and he himself admits to having thought about it, as he declared to GP One : “Deep down I hoped so, because with the announcement of Melandri's retirement, I would have liked to represent both Ducati and Italy in Superbike. » But the view of the Borgo Panigale brand was different, and Pirro is truly seen as a pillar of development: “Of course, I understand that I have other commitments and, therefore, that I must focus my efforts on the development of the bike alongside Gigi [Dall'Igna] and the whole team. In the end, the good of the brand comes first and before personal ambitions. »
The team therefore preferred to choose Scott Redding, who left MotoGP for British Superbike (BSB) this season, and who will have the difficult task of succeeding the Spaniard, who proved to be a formidable opponent for his first season. “I hope Scott will be as competitive with the new bike as Álvaro was”, commented Pirro. “We know he comes from BSB, but V4 won't be an easy task for him. I am convinced that he will have the situation under control in 2020. It is obvious that the level of his opponents will be higher, he will have to deal with rivals of the caliber of Bautista and Rea, to name but a few, and that will perhaps be the most difficult. In BSB, Haslam was a reference rider, but since he returned to WSBK he has encountered difficulties. »
We will have to wait until next year to know how the Englishman will fare, but whatever happens, Bautista's departure will remain a big surprise for the team. “Honestly I was surprised, I didn’t think he would leave” Pirro said. « Je ne sais pas pourquoi il a choisi Honda. Au final, on peut voir que le “grand amour”, si on peut l’appeler ainsi, entre Álvaro et Ducati, n’est jamais arrivé. »
